How to Make Healthy Rice and Noodle Bowls + Recipe

I love rice bowls. There's something mysterious that happens when you pile delicious and healthy ingredients on top of rice. Rice bowls are easy to make, portable, budget friendly and great for your health. Noodle bowls are okay too!

So let's learn then how to make healthy and delicious rice and noodle bowls.

Cooking Rice

I am a huge fan of cooking in bulk. I recommend to make a large pot of rice keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for days. You can use a rice cooker or just boil it, here's how to do that.

Best way to reheat rice

Simply place in a microwaveable dish

Sprinkle with water

Microwave ~1 min.

Mix and serve

Cooking Noodles

I don't recommend cooking noodles in bulk/ahead of time since they get too mushy when you reheat them - unless you like mushy texture then go hog wild.

For Vegetables

You can use raw or cooked vegetables. For cooking you can steam, saute, roast, etc. Use a frozen packet or take-out plain steamed veg if you want.

On Fresh Herbs and Seasonings

These are where the real flavor comes in. You don’t need a metric ton of sugar and salt when you have fresh basil, mint, cilantro, jalapeños, etc. The key is to have a mix of different flavors and then add extra sauces lightly.

My go-to recipe

Cooked basmati rice or fresh-cooked buckwheat noodles

Leftover meat or chicken

Salad or lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, onions, herbs

More herbs: cilantro, mint, basil

Lime juice or light vinegar

Sriracha

Soy sauce

Ingredients Template

Carbs

Cooked rice

Noodles

Shirataki noodles (low-calorie)

Protein

Chicken

Fish or shrimp

Ground meat

Steak or roast

Tofu (plain or pre-seaoned), tempeh, etc. too.

Fat

Avocado

Sesame or any seeds

Peanut or sesame sauce

Spicy Mayo

Creamy coconut milk dressing

Vegetables

Carrots

Zucchini

Shallots

Cucumbers

Onions

Bok Choy

Bean sprouts

Lettuce

Broccoli

Arugula

Pickled Veggies

Kimchi

Fresh herbs and flavors:

Basil

Mint

Cilantro

Jalapeños

Garlic

Sriracha

Soy Sauce

Fruits

Peaches

Mango

Oranges

Bonus Sauce Recipe:

Sesame paste / tahini (if this is difficult to find, you can use any other nut butter, including peanut)

Lime juice, lemon juice or light vinegar

Paprika, cayenne, etc.

Salt or dash soy sauce

Note: you can also make a coconut twist on this, by substituting the tahini for coconut milk and blending with a slice of jalapeño (optional), turmeric, dash soy sauce, and lime juice in a blender or hand mixer.